Sen. Nelson travels the Suwannee, hears about water bottling and piping

Wednesday

May 28, 2008 at 9:54 PM

By NATHAN CRABBESun staff writer

FANNING SPRINGS — U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson had a front seat Wednesday toNorth Florida's version of the water wars.Nelson, D-Florida, started the day by meeting environmental advocates whourged him to stop water-bottling plants and growing southern Floridacommunities from tapping the north's water.He ended with a boat trip launched from Fanning Springs — where thedepleted flow of the former first-magnitude spring has been linked toexcessive groundwater pumping.Nelson steered clear of controversies about water withdrawals by sayingthey're a local and state issue. But he expressed surprise that theproblems facing the Tampa Bay area and South Florida while he was a statelegislator in the 1970s had migrated north."Never in a million years did I think we were going to end up having waterproblems in North Florida 36 years ago," he said.The Suwannee River Water Management District arranged Nelson'sfact-finding trip on regional water issues. A meeting at the Putnam Lodgenear Cross City included some of the region's most prominent environmentaladvocates, while a trip down the Suwannee River included water districtboard and staff members.The senator spent most of the time listening about the region's concerns —and requests for funding for environmental programs and land purchases."He wanted us to teach him and we asked for money instead," said AnnetteLong, president of the advocacy group Save Our Suwannee.Long said the region around Fanning Springs illustrates the pressures onlocal water resources. The main spring had been a first magnitude spring, adesignation for the largest springs that discharge at least 100 cubic feetof water per second.But Florida Geological Survey geologist Tom Greenhalgh said measurementssince 1997 show the spring has averaged about 71 cubic feet per second. Hesaid dry weather conditions are a major factor, but a contributing reasonis groundwater pumping in the area that is permitted to average 60 milliongallons pumped per day."It don't perceive Fanning ever being first-magnitude again," Greenhalghsaid.Long said pumping by dairies and row-crop farmers is a major drain on agroundwater situation that could get worse. She said water managers shouldclosely look at the impact of a planned power plant in Bell andwater-bottling plant in Chiefland."In my mind we should err on the side of caution, because once you issue apermit, there’s no taking it back," she said.At the Putnam Lodge meeting, Nelson heard from members of the anti-waterbottling group Our Santa Fe River. Group President Russ Augspurg saidbottlers pump water for free and should pay a tax to use the resource.He said the group's intention was to show the senator that local residentswere worried about water bottling."We want to start to get the information in his head, so as he hears more,he starts to put the puzzle together," he said.While Nelson said many of the water issues raised were local matters, somesaid local officials said the federal government had a role to play.Dixie County Commission Chairman Hoyt J. "Buddy" Lamb said he wasconcerned about the possibility of North Florida water being piped southbecause of growth pressures.He said the federal government could help prevent such a plan by fundingdesalination plants that tap ocean water to supply the south."That would take pressure off of us," he said.Water managers said they saw pressures closer to home. David Still,executive director of the Suwannee River Water Management District, said hedidn't see water transfers south as the biggest issue for the region."It's going to be Georgia, it's going to be the Jacksonville area, it'sgoing to be the Gainesville area, it's going to be the Tallahassee and LeonCounty area," he said. "That's where our pressures are coming."Still asked Nelson for a fraction of the billions of dollars being spenton Everglades restoration to protect North Florida springs. The money couldbe used to fund voluntary local efforts to protect springs, he said."It's the last piece of natural Florida, the old Florida, that we haveleft," he said. "When this is gone, there is no more."But advocates such as Long say the district has contributed to problems bypermitting excessive groundwater pumping.District Board Member David Flagg said giving closer scrutiny to permitswill be part of addressing water issues such as the depleted flow ofFanning Springs."The canaries in the coal mine, so to speak, are dead already," he said.